New Bay powers home to victory in French Derby

New Bay, making just his fourth career start and winning for only the second time, powered down the center of the Chantilly homestretch Sunday and won the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) by 1 1/2 lengths over Highland Reel.

The Juddmonte Farms homebred by Dubawi, out of Cinnamon Bay, provided trainer Andre Fabre his fourth win in the race, while Vincent Cheminaud, a champion jumps rider in France, easily took home the biggest prize of his flat-racing career.

Raced just once last year at 2, New Bay has developed rapidly, winning a conditions race to launch his 3-year-old campaign and finishing second to stablemate Make Believe in the French 2000 Guineas last out. That one-mile race, Fabre felt, fell short of New Bay’s desired trip, and racing at 9 1/2 furlongs Sunday, New Bay excelled.

Breaking from post 13, New Bay was taken to the two path early and settled at the back of the 14-runner field by Cheminaud, and there he stayed down the backstretch and around the French Derby’s one sweeping bend. Angled out for room in advance of the extended Chantilly home straight, New Bay was asked for run a little more than a quarter-mile out and quickly launched himself into contention. Coming hard while racing farthest outside, he hit the front in the final furlong and left no doubt about the best horse on the day, Cheminaud raising his left hand to the crowd as New Bay swept under the wire.

Highland Reel led home three Aidan O’Brien-trained runners, improving markedly off his sixth in the French 2000 Guineas while finishing nearly two lengths clear of the third-place War Dispatch, the latter bred and owned by the American horseman Joe Allen.

The Aga Khan’s well-backed Karaktar failed to quicken and finished seventh.

New Bay’s year-end goal is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, his connections confident he will stay1 1/2 miles.

Highland Reel, O’Brien said, could go for the Irish Derby or the Eclipse Stakes against older horses.